inquiringmind Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 I just had a wonderful visit with the missionaries tonight, and I have a question.Is it possible for missionaries to receive personal revelation for investigators and potential converts in their jurisdiction?
The Nehor Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 I just had a wonderful visit with the missionaries tonight, and I have a question.Is it possible for missionaries to receive personal revelation for investigators and potential converts in their jurisdiction?Yes.
KevinG Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 It is also recommended you confirm that revelation for yourself and gain a stronger testimony through the Holy Ghost.
Messenger Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 I just had a wonderful visit with the missionaries tonight, and I have a question.Is it possible for missionaries to receive personal revelation for investigators and potential converts in their jurisdiction?No. It is not. But lets be clear, there is a difference in your words "Personal Revelation" and missionaries being inspired to tell them something. Only an individual can receive a testimony that something is true. We all hear talks, listen to lessons at church, and we are even inspired by many other things. But nobody can tell us, that by revelation, that we are compelled to act or do what that person says. It must be confirmed by the spirit, then that person has free agency to choose. It is our responsibility to act on what we know, it is those that have a stewardship over us, to tell us what they are inspired to say. That's all.
LDSGuy Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 I think the question has more to do with the missionaries' being able to receive revelation/inspiration on how to interact with the investigator for the best outcome. The Lord knows the investigator and their needs and can reveal to the missionary how best to meet that need so that the investigator can progress, overcome concerns, and make covenants. I felt that inspiration many times from the Lord on my mission, and many concerns that investigators had were easily overcome so that the person could progress.
Messenger Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 I think the question has more to do with the missionaries' being able to receive revelation/inspiration on how to interact with the investigator for the best outcome. The Lord knows the investigator and their needs and can reveal to the missionary how best to meet that need so that the investigator can progress, overcome concerns, and make covenants. I felt that inspiration many times from the Lord on my mission, and many concerns that investigators had were easily overcome so that the person could progress.I don't think you can phrase the two as the same. Receiving personal revelation for investigators is a mile apart from receiving inspiration. They can tell them that they, themselves, have a testimony, and that they feel inspired to invite them to baptism. But they can't tell them that they have received personal revelation from the lord commanding them to be baptized. Only we, as individuals can receive direct personal revelation on what we are responsible for acting on or not. The only responsibility to missionaries is to present what they are inspired to present, and bear testimony of what they know to be true. Remember, the OP used the words PERSONAL REVELATION. Unless they were using the wrong context, what I have said is doctrine. One can not gain PERSONAL REVELATION for another.
Calm Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 Perhaps a good way of phrasing it is that a missionary can receive revelation that he should advise an investigator to study a certain choice as to determine whether it is right or wrong for him. I would never say that if an investigator prays about something, it will be the missionary that gets the answer and passes it on to him, though the answer to the request of the investigator might come through the behaviour of the missionary (for example, I and a friend prayed about a problem with a roommate and it was the RS president who showed up at the door before we even finished praying who was able to help us with it).I think a missionary could receive revelation that an investigator should or shouldn't be baptized, but that is for his personal knowledge; the investigator should not rely on the missionary's knowledge in his decision making process though it might spur him on to seek out his own confirmation of that revelation, much as Nephi sought confirmation of his father's vision.
LDSGuy Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) I don't think you can phrase the two as the same. Receiving personal revelation for investigators is a mile apart from receiving inspiration. They can tell them that they, themselves, have a testimony, and that they feel inspired to invite them to baptism. But they can't tell them that they have received personal revelation from the lord commanding them to be baptized. Only we, as individuals can receive direct personal revelation on what we are responsible for acting on or not. The only responsibility to missionaries is to present what they are inspired to present, and bear testimony of what they know to be true. Remember, the OP used the words PERSONAL REVELATION. Unless they were using the wrong context, what I have said is doctrine. One can not gain PERSONAL REVELATION for another.Missionaries can receive personal revelation on how to do a better job as a missionary and how that missionary interacts with individuals. Now, we can ask an important question. Do missionaries have some degree of stewardship over investigators? I think that is a legitimate question. In other words, do missionaries have a responsibility over people in their teaching pools and areas? Can they receive revelation from the Lord on how best to harvest the area that they are in, and help people in the teaching pool progress towards baptism and confirmation? I'm in no way implying that the missionaries receive personal revelation for another person, BUT that they can receive revelation on how to help that person get where they need to be. Missionaries should never tell a person that God told them the investigator should get baptized. That's for the investigator to decide. However, what the missionary can receive from the Lord is guidance on the best way to get the investigator to make and keep commitments. Edited April 14, 2012 by LDSGuy
cinepro Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 I just had a wonderful visit with the missionaries tonight, and I have a question.Is it possible for missionaries to receive personal revelation for investigators and potential converts in their jurisdiction?Yes. I received revelation for my investigators all the time. Usually it involved them getting baptized.
Messenger Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) Yes. I received revelation for my investigators all the time. Usually it involved them getting baptized.You can receive inspiration about them, but not revelation for them. There is an important difference in the grammar of that sentence. In other words, we as Mormons, are not compelled to follow any one person, our wife, our husband, our missionary, or prophet or our neighbor next door. We must do the things we KNOW are true that have been revealed to us as individuals, through personal revelation directly from God. We are free men and are not subjects of any one person, no matter what their title is.I think you agree with what I am saying. But I think for those that are not members of the church, who, due to recent political news, want to know more about us should receive the correct doctrine with a clear view. An example: A Mormon president of the USA would not be obligated to follow direction of his home teacher, gospel doctrine teacher, baptizing missionary, former Mission President, and even the Prophet, unless he felt it was true and also received that personal revelation directly from God. Therefore, no one person can receive personal revelation for another person.Blind obedience even to the authority of scripture or prophets can ultimately lead to authoritarianism. Without personal revelation, we risk becoming mere puppets on a string, tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine ( Ephesians 4:11-16 ) from within and without the Church.Elder Douglas L. Callister observed, “In the genius of the gospel plan, there ultimately only has to be one witness, but that witness must be you. The testimony of others may initiate and nourish the desire for faith and testimony, but eventually every individual must find out for himself. None can permanently endure on borrowed light.”President Brigham Young said, "the greatest fear I have is that the people of this Church will accept what we say as the will of the Lord without first praying about it and getting the witness within their own hearts that what we say is the word of the Lord."President Harold B. Lee said, “We can know or have the assurance that they (the Prophet and Apostles) are speaking under inspiration if we so live that we can have a witness that what they are speaking is the word of the Lord. There is only one safety, and that is that we shall live to have the witness to know" Brigham Young, the second President of the Church, reported: “The question was asked a great many times of Joseph Smith, by gentlemen who came to see him and his people, ‘How is it that you can control your people so easily? It appears that they do nothing but what you say; how is it that you can govern them so easily?’ Said he, ‘I do not govern them at all. The Lord has revealed certain principles from the heavens by which we are to live in these latter days. The time is drawing near when the Lord is going to gather out His people from the wicked, and He is going to cut short His work in righteousness, and the principles which He has revealed I have taught to the people and they are trying to live according to them, and they control themselves.’ ”Source: Church News; Douglas L. CallisterSource: Brigham Young Quote Edited April 14, 2012 by Messenger
inquiringmind Posted April 14, 2012 Author Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) Missionaries should never tell a person that God told them the investigator should get baptizedNo one did, and personal advice concerning what an investigator should (or must) do is not what I was thinking of.Yes. I received revelation for my investigators all the time.Thank you. Edited April 14, 2012 by inquiringmind
inquiringmind Posted April 14, 2012 Author Posted April 14, 2012 So what were you thinking of?Something personal.
Messenger Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 If you felt the spirit of his/her suggestion, and already know what the Holy Ghost feels like, I would follow it.
TheSkepticChristian Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 Yes, but they should probably discuss it with their mission president.
TheSkepticChristian Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 missionaries should be careful in certain situations
cdowis Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 They cannot receive a revelation "for" you. Only you can do that. They can give your their testimony and pray that you will receive a witness of the truth through the Holy Spirit.They may receive a revelation "for" themselves and now they should teach and associate with you but they cannot say, "The Lord tole me that you should......" The Lord does not work that way.
cdowis Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 (edited) Yes. I received revelation for my investigators all the time. Usually it involved them getting baptized.How would you react if your home teacher or bishop told you that he had received a revelation for you from the Lord, and delivered that revelation to you. The home teacher comes to your home and gives you a of paper with a revelation from the Lord. Just curious if you have matured beyond such notions. Edited April 14, 2012 by cdowis
TheSkepticChristian Posted April 14, 2012 Posted April 14, 2012 yea, missionaries receive revelation on how to teach, and how to help, but they should discuss some issues and situations with their mission president.
cdowis Posted April 15, 2012 Posted April 15, 2012 Some good advice here."Elder, could you discuss this revelation with your mission president and let me know what he has to say about you receiving revelation for me."Your best answer is not here on this forum, but from the church authorities, the mission president.
inquiringmind Posted April 15, 2012 Author Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Why do so many of you assume that the only personal revelation that could be of interest to an investigator concerns them, and what they should do?If all you were concerned about were yourself, your own salvation, and what you should do, wouldn't your religion be entirely self-centered? Edited April 15, 2012 by inquiringmind
Helmuth Posted April 15, 2012 Posted April 15, 2012 Why do so many of you assume that the only personal revelation that could be of interest to an investigator concerns them, and what they should do?Umm, yeah. Exactly. Anyone can recieve revelation about anything. Last I heard such things were up to God.
pcarthew Posted April 15, 2012 Posted April 15, 2012 I just had a wonderful visit with the missionaries tonight, and I have a question.Is it possible for missionaries to receive personal revelation for investigators and potential converts in their jurisdiction?Personal revelation is what is says, personal. However definitely the missionaries could receive revelation for your specific teaching circumstance. I am so glad you had a good experience with the missionaries.
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